10 Great Actors Who Quit Hollywood

Hollywood is full of actors, but few are as prolific as Gene Hackman. The veteran actor's career spanned more than five decades and comprised 85 films. Hackman's work on Unforgiven earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and his portrayal as Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection nabbed him a Best Actor award as well.

Hackman began working in 1956 in the theater, but retired from acting in 2004. While you might assume he decided to retire due to his age, he hasn't stopped working entirely.

Since leaving acting behind, Hackman has become a successful novelist having published three historical fiction novels alongside Daniel Lenihan. He also published two solo works in 2011 and 2013 and continues to write from his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

When asked in a 2011 GQ interview about the prospect of returning to acting, he said, "if I could do it in my own house, maybe, without them disturbing anything and just one or two people."